Presidential elections in Washington
Map of the United States with Washington highlighted
Number of elections33
Voted Democratic18
Voted Republican14
Voted other1[a]
Voted for winning candidate23
Voted for losing candidate10

Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Since its admission to the Union in 1889, the state has participated in 33 United States presidential elections.[1]

In the 1892 presidential election, the incumbent president Benjamin Harrison received 41.45% of the popular vote and obtained 4 electoral votes from Washington.[2] Before 1932, Washington state leaned towards the Republican Party. Washington state was won by Progressive Party presidential nominee Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, which is the only time it voted for the third party's nominee as of 2023. From 1932 to 1948, Democratic candidates won Washington state in landslide victories due to the Great Depression and the New Deal.[3][4]

From 1952 to 1984, the Democratic nominee won just two of nine elections in Washington state. Since 1984, no Republican candidate has won a presidential election in Washington state. In 2009, American journalist Ron Brownstein referred to Washington and 17 other states collectively as the "Blue Wall" due to its political leaning.[5][6]

Washington state is typically thought of as politically divided by the Cascade Mountains, with Western Washington generally being liberal and Eastern Washington generally being conservative.[7] However, due to Democratic dominance in the Seattle metropolitan area, which has an extremely high population density, Washington state is a blue state in general.[8][9]

Washington state has signed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an interstate compact in which signatories award all of their electoral votes to the winner of the federal-level popular vote in a presidential election, even if there are other candidate won some of individual signatorys' popular vote. However, it has not yet gone into force as of 2023.[10]

Presidential elections

Key for parties
  American Independent Party – (AI)
  Constitution Party – (C)
  Democratic Party – (D)
  Farmer-Labor Party – (FL)
  Green Party – (G)
  Independent candidate – (I)
  Libertarian Party – (LI)
  Libertarian Party – (LI-1932)
  People's Party – (PO)
  Prohibition Party – (PRO)
  Progressive Party (1912) – (PR-1912)
  Progressive Party (1924) – (PR-1924)
  Progressive Party (1948) – (PR-1948)
  Reform Party – (RE)
  Republican Party – (R)
  Socialist Party of America – (S)
  Socialist Labor Party of America – (SLP)
  Union Party – (U)

Note – A double dagger (‡) indicates the national winner.
Note – Percentages may not total 100.0% because of rounding.

Presidential elections in Arizona from 1912 to present
Year Winner Runner-up Other candidate[b] EV Ref.
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
1892
 Benjamin Harrison (R) 36,460 41.4% Grover Cleveland (D)‡ 29,802 33.9% James B. Weaver (PO) 19,165 21.8% 4
[11][12][13]
1896
 William Jennings Bryan (D) 53,314 57.0% William McKinley (R)‡ 39,153 41.8% Joshua Levering (PRO) 968 1.0% 4
[2][14][15]
1900
 William McKinley (R)‡ 57,456 53.4% William Jennings Bryan (D) 44,833 41.7% John Woolley (PRO) 2,363 2.2% 4
[16][17][18]
1904
 Theodore Roosevelt (R)‡ 101,540 70.0% Alton B. Parker (D) 28,098 19.4% Eugene V. Debs (S) 10,023 6.9% 5
[19][20][21]
1908
 William Howard Taft (R)‡ 106,062 57.7% William Jennings Bryan (D) 58,691 31.9% Eugene V. Debs (S) 14,177 7.7% 5
[22][23][24]
1912
 Theodore Roosevelt (PR-1912) 113,698 35.2% Woodrow Wilson (D)‡ 86,840 26.9% William Howard Taft (R) 70,445 21.8% 7
[25][26][27]
1916
 Woodrow Wilson (D)‡ 183,388 48.1% Charles Evans Hughes (R) 167,208 43.9% Allan L. Benson (S) 22,800 6.0% 7
[28][29][30]
1920
 Warren G. Harding (R)‡ 223,137 56.0% James M. Cox (D) 84,298 21.1% Parley P. Christensen (FL) 77,246 19.4% 7
[31][32][33]
1924
 Calvin Coolidge (R)‡ 220,224 52.2% Robert M. La Follette (PR-1924) 150,727 35.8% John W. Davis (D) 42,842 10.2% 7
[34][35][36]
1928
 Herbert Hoover (R)‡ 335,844 67.1% Al Smith (D) 156,772 31.3% Verne L. Reynolds (SLP) 4,068 0.8% 7
[37][38][39]
1932
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 353,260 57.5% Herbert Hoover (R) 208,645 33.9% William Hope Harvey (LI-1932) 30,308 4.9% 8
[40][41][42]
1936
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 459,579 66.4% Alf Landon (R) 206,892 29.9% William Lemke (U) 17,463 2.5% 8
[43][44][45]
1940
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 462,145 58.2% Wendell Willkie (R) 322,123 40.6% Norman Thomas (S) 4,586 0.6% 8
[46][47][48]
1944
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)‡ 486,774 56.8% Thomas E. Dewey (R) 361,689 42.2% Norman Thomas (S) 3,824 0.4% 8
[49][50][51]
1948
 Harry S. Truman (D)‡ 486,774 56.8% Thomas E. Dewey (R) 361,689 42.2% Henry A. Wallace (PR-1948) 3,824 0.4% 8
[52][53][54]
1952
 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)‡ 599,107 54.3% Adlai Stevenson (D) 492,845 44.7% Douglas MacArthur (C) 7,290 0.7% 9
[55][56][57]
1956
 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)‡ 620,430 53.9% Adlai Stevenson (D) 523,002 45.4% Eric Hass (SLP) 7,457 0.6% 9
[58][59][60]
1960
 Richard Nixon (R) 620,430 50.7% John F. Kennedy (D)‡ 523,002 48.3% Eric Hass (SLP) 7,457 0.9% 9
[61][62][63]
1964
 Lyndon B. Johnson (D)‡ 779,881 62.0% Barry Goldwater (R) 470,366 37.4% Eric Hass (SLP) 7,772 0.6% 9
[64][65][66]
1968
 Hubert Humphrey (D) 616,037 47.2% Richard Nixon (R)‡ 588,510 45.1% George Wallace (AI) 96,990 7.4% 9
[67][68][69]
1972
 Richard Nixon (R)‡ 837,135 56.9% George McGovern (D) 568,334 38.6% John G. Schmitz (AI) 58,906 4% 9
[70][71][72]
1976
 Gerald Ford (R) 717,323 50.0% Jimmy Carter (D)‡ 717,323 46.1% Eugene McCarthy (I) 36,986 2.4% 8[c]
[74][75][76]
1980
 Ronald Reagan (R)‡ 865,244 49.7% Jimmy Carter (D) 650,193 37.3% John B. Anderson (I) 185,073 10.6% 9
[77][78][79]
1984
 Ronald Reagan (R)‡ 1,051,670 55.8% Walter Mondale (D) 807,352 42.9% David Bergland (LI) 8,844 0.5% 10
[80][81][82]
1988
 Michael Dukakis (D) 933,516 50.0% George H. W. Bush (R)‡ 903,835 48.5% Ron Paul (LI) 17,240 0.9% 10
[83][84][85]
1992
 Bill Clinton (D)‡ 993,037 43.4% George H. W. Bush (R) 731,234 32.0% Ross Perot (I) 541,780 23.7% 11
[86][87][88]
1996
 Bill Clinton (D)‡ 1,123,323 49.8% Bob Dole (R) 840,712 37.3% Ross Perot (RE) 201,003 8.9% 11
[89][90][91]
2000
 Al Gore (D) 1,247,652 50.1% George W. Bush (R)‡ 1,108,864 44.6% Ralph Nader (G) 103,002 4.1% 11
[92][93]
2004
 John Kerry (D) 1,510,201 52.8% George W. Bush (R)‡ 1,304,894 45.6% Ralph Nader (I) 23,283 0.8% 11
[94][95]
2008
 Barack Obama (D)‡ 1,750,848 57.3% John McCain (R) 1,229,216 40.2% Ralph Nader (I) 29,489 1% 11
[96][97]
2012
 Barack Obama (D)‡ 1,755,396 56.2% Mitt Romney (R) 1,290,670 41.3% Gary Johnson (LI) 42,202 1.4% 12
[98][99]
2016
 Hillary Clinton (D) 1,742,718 52.5% Donald Trump (R)‡ 1,221,747 36.8% Gary Johnson (LI) 160,879 4.9% 8[d]
[101][102]
2020
 Joe Biden (D)‡ 2,369,612 58.0% Donald Trump (R) 1,584,651 38.8% Jo Jorgensen (LI) 80,500 2% 12
[103][104]


See also

Notes

  1. ^ Won by Progressive Party's candidate Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.
  2. ^ For purposes of these lists, other candidates are defined as those who were in third place in Washington state.
  3. ^ One faithless elector voted for Ronald Reagan for president and Bob Dole for vice president[73]
  4. ^ Clinton earned 12 pledged electoral votes, but lost four to faithless electors. Three electors voted for Colin Powell for president and Elizabeth Warren, Maria Cantwell, and Susan Collins for vice president, while Robert Satiacum Jr. voted for Faith Spotted Eagle for president and Winona LaDuke for vice president.[100]

References

  1. ^ Oldham, Kit (March 1, 2022). "Washington is admitted as the 42nd state to the United States of America on November 11, 1889". HistoryLink. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 773.
  3. ^ Davies, Richard O. (1964). "The Politics of Desperation: William A. Hirth and the Presidential Election of 1932". Agricultural History. 38 (4): 226–234. ISSN 0002-1482. JSTOR 3741013. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Phillips, Kevin (2015). The Emerging Republican Majority (STU - Student ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 485. ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6. JSTOR j.ctt9qh063. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  5. ^ "Clinton's Campaign Is Focused on Battleground States She Doesn't Really Need – The Atlantic". The Atlantic. November 2, 2016.
  6. ^ Steinhauser, Paul (November 12, 2012). "Holding Democratic 'blue wall' was crucial for Obama victory". CNN. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  7. ^ "Red state, blue state: Watch 40 years of political change in Washington". The Seattle Times. September 1, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Brown, Justin (December 8, 2022). "Exploring Washington State's East-West Divide". Battleground. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  9. ^ Webley, Kayla (January 15, 2013). "A State Divided: As Washington Becomes More Liberal, Republicans Push Back". Time.
  10. ^ "Status of National Popular Vote Bill in Each State". National Popular Vote Inc. November 11, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  11. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 772.
  12. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 101.
  13. ^ "1892 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  14. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 102.
  15. ^ "1896 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  16. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 774.
  17. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 103.
  18. ^ "1900 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  19. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 775.
  20. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 104.
  21. ^ "1904 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  22. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 776.
  23. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 105.
  24. ^ "1908 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  25. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 777.
  26. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 106.
  27. ^ "1912 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 778.
  29. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 107.
  30. ^ "1916 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  31. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 779.
  32. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 108.
  33. ^ "1920 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  34. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 780.
  35. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 109.
  36. ^ "1924 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  37. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 781.
  38. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 110.
  39. ^ "1928 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  40. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 782.
  41. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 111.
  42. ^ "1932 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  43. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 783.
  44. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 112.
  45. ^ "1936 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  46. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 784.
  47. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 113.
  48. ^ "1940 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  49. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 785.
  50. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 114.
  51. ^ "1944 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  52. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 786.
  53. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 115.
  54. ^ "1948 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  55. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 787.
  56. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 116.
  57. ^ "1952 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  58. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 788.
  59. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 117.
  60. ^ "1956 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  61. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 789.
  62. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 118.
  63. ^ "1960 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  64. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 790.
  65. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 119.
  66. ^ "1964 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  67. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 791.
  68. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 120.
  69. ^ "1968 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  70. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 792.
  71. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 121.
  72. ^ "1972 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  73. ^ "Electoral College wasn't done deal in 1976. Will it be in 2016?". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  74. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 793.
  75. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 122.
  76. ^ "1976 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  77. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 794.
  78. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 123.
  79. ^ "1980 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  80. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 795.
  81. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 124.
  82. ^ "1984 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  83. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 796.
  84. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 125.
  85. ^ "1988 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  86. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 797.
  87. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 126.
  88. ^ "1992 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  89. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 798.
  90. ^ Presidential elections 1997, p. 127.
  91. ^ "1996 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  92. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 799.
  93. ^ "2000 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  94. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 800.
  95. ^ "2004 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  96. ^ Guide to U.S. Elections 2010, p. 801.
  97. ^ "2008 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  98. ^ "November 06, 2012 General Election Results - President/Vice President". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  99. ^ "2012 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  100. ^ "4 Washington state electors decided not to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016. They were fined $1,000, went to court and lost". The Seattle Times. May 23, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  101. ^ Federal Election Commission (December 2017). "Federal Elections 2016" (PDF). p. 43. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  102. ^ "2016 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  103. ^ "2020 Presidential General Election Results - Washington". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  104. ^ "Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.

Works cited

Category